These five pictures were taken in Mockton Inlet at the bottom (east side) of Principe Channel.

That area is also on the agenda, but probably next year. I don't know its official name, but around here we call it the outside inside passage. About as wild and uninhabited as it gets on BC's coast.

When Kodak got into digital and stopped selling B&W products I disavowed myself from all things Kodak, switched to Ilford film and paper, and started making my own developers, fixers, and stop bath from scratch. (Selenium toner I still buy in a concentrate because it's nasty stuff in its raw form).

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__________________"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" Murray Minchin

The beauty of sheet film is that every image gets developed according to its specific needs...they aren't all compromised to an average like on roll film. They can be developed normally, longer if you want more snap & sizzle, or given reduced contrast development if the scenes were too contrasty for the final image in your head.

I use "selective latent image manipulation technique" (SLIMT) for minus development...works like a hot damn!

Murray - how are all of the LNG developments impacting your cruising around Kitimat?

Talk about a loaded question!

So far, minimally, as none have fully gone through the review process and haven't received approval from the Provincial Government. There has been right-of-way clearance for one pipeline, and ground preparation for one LNG plant, but that's it.

A bit of background BC history...for some unknown reason the British stopped signing Treaties with almost all the First Nations (Aboriginal communities) west of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. First Nations here have never given nor negotiated away title to the lands they occupied and/or were utilizing pre-contact. This means they may have a case for a cut of all the monies extracted from resources on those lands to date, and they certainly can tie up things all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada any new projects which may impact their inherent rights to use their lands for traditional purposes.

The Haisla, who elect their Band Council and Chief, have signed LNG agreements and it is on land they own that the site preparation is being done for the LNG plant.

The Gitxsan-Wet'suwet'en, who live on the other side of the Coast Mountains from us, have a very different view and political system. They have a House System, where hereditary Chiefs represent different geographical areas within their territory. Those Chiefs inform their House members of projects within their territory, then the community votes wether they will allow them or not. One of the Houses responsible for the Maurice and Clore River watersheds (of international Steelhead fame) has been steadfastly against any pipelines, natural gas or liquid petroleum, to cross their lands. They hold the trump card.

Recently, the Gitxsan-Wet'suwet'en sent an open letter to the Premier of BC saying that if she really wants to develop the export LNG potential here on the north coast of BC, she must deny the Enbridge Northern Gateway dual pipeline (850,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from Alberta's Tar Sands) with its 360+ 1,100' supertankers per year port proposal in Kitimat. So...kill the liquid petroleum project, and the LNG plans can go ahead.

I was with a group (Douglas Channel Watch) that had Intervenor status and opposed Enbridge's project for exporting unrefined diluted bitumen through Kitimat and down Douglas Channel with its zigzagging approaches, that is now in the hands of the Joint Review Panel. Their recommendation on that project will come in December, and the Federal Government's decision will be in January 2014.

The Haisla also oppose Enbridge's project.

So, for now, it's a wait and see who blinks first scenario.

That's about as simple an answer as I can squeeze in before work

__________________"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" Murray Minchin

Murray - Thanks for the insight. I was just curious about any impacts to the local cruisers, but I really do appreciate the historical background and political perspective. Didn't realize you had such a depth of knowledge on the topic.